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| Takeout Nation |
| 02.17.04 (9:46 am) [edit] |
Takeout Nation
By Jerry Adler
Newsweek
American families still manage to eat dinner together, they just don't want to cook it. How our busy lives and more sophisticated tastes are transforming the food industry. And why that fancy new kitchen is always so clean.
Feb. 9 issue - By the scores, by the hundreds, the cookbooks roll off the presses, an estimated $433 million worth in 2002â€"diet cookbooks and dessert cookbooks; cookbooks for the cuisines of Sri Lanka, South Africa and Canada; berry cookbooks, cherry cookbooks and a cookbook for people with the unusual problem of what to do with a lemon. (Say, honey, how about some turnips with lemony bread crumbs?) And then there are racks full of cooking magazines, newspaper recipe columns and even a TV network for people who need to know how to fillet a sea bass at 3 a.m. That is, people like Karen and Ken Mullin, a young professional couple in Cleveland, who subscribe to three cooking magazines and have two fully equipped kitchens in their house. And all so that on their way home from work they can stop off at a supermarket to savor the miracle of fresh cilantro in Ohio in January, of jicama and chorizo and six kinds of dried chilies and boldly choose ...
... two portions of meat loaf and a container of mashed potatoes. "My job," says Karen, "is to pour the salad from the bag."
A half-century after the first TV dinner was born in a shallow bath of thawed turkey gravy, the food industry is approaching its long-sought dream of supplanting the unpaid labor of people like the Mullins in the final, and arguably most profitable, step by which a cow gets turned into meat loaf. Increasingly the acres of Corian countertop in America's Versailles-quality kitchens are used not for chopping or whisking but for dumping takeout containers onto plates. For those who even bother with plates. According to the influential food-industry researchers at the NPD Group, the proportion of dinners that came from a takeout counter or a grocery freezer increased by 24 percent in the past decadeâ€"and in five years is likely to overtake meals made from scratch. "We thought the microwave would be a cooking appliance," says NPD vice president Harry Balzer; instead it found its apotheosis in reheating a container of takeout macaroni and cheese.
Entire business models are being transformed. Supermarket takeout counters, formerly a place where unsold chickens were rejuvenated with a coat of barbecue sauce, increasingly resemble high-end corporate cafeterias, with sushi bars and stir-fry stations and cooked-to-order pizza ovens; sales of hot entrees in supermarkets were $1.57 billion in 2002, up 38 percent in five years. Natural-food stores, those last bastions of authenticity and simplicity, have discovered that a little olive oil can transform the contents of a humdrum bag of dried lentils into a salad costing three times as much. At the 147-store Whole Foods Market chain, prepared foods have been the biggest growth category in each of the past four years.
And in the restaurant business, Balzer says, almost all the growth over the past 15 years has been in takeout. Jeffery Sobal, a nutritional sociologist at Cornell, thinks the trend toward healthier eating is responsible: Americans have finally gotten the message that it's bad to eat a bucket of fried chicken larger than a wastebasket, so increasingly they're doing it at home where no one can see them. Applebee's, the nationwide casual-dining chain, is capitalizing on the trend with "carside" service at all 400 company-owned locations: call in your order, give your car model and a waiter will meet you with dinner as you pull into the parking lot. New York's fleets of battered bicycles hauling containers of kung pao shrimp now share sidewalk space with deliverymen from restaurants specializing in risotto or English fish and chips. And, increasingly, the luxury dining business resembles the fashion industry, in which the chef's flagship restaurant lends its prestige to more profitable takeout products. Wolfgang Puck, the legendary impresario of "California cuisine," pioneered the trend 15 years ago with his Express chain, offering a selection of pizzas, soups and salads to go. "My thinking was, if it's good enough for Wolfgang, it's good enough for you," he says. Now his sauces and gravies are for sale in supermarkets, joining the signature products of Charlie Trotter and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Some dishes travel better than others, though. The takeout business is thriving at San Francisco's popular Slanted Door restaurant, but chef Charles Phan worries that "by the time people get it home, I have no idea what it looks like." So in May he plans to begin selling the raw, fully prepared ingredients, condiments and cooking oils needed to cook his Vietnamese-inspired dishes at home, further blurring the line between takeout and home cooking.
Of course, there are people you wouldn't expect to cook at home, like Steve Traxler, an unmarried Chicago theater producer, whose refrigerator contains little more than orange juice, wine and leftovers. He favors takeout sushi over cooked dishes, which spares him even the minimal effort of pushing a button on the microwave. Or like Scott and Beth Zucker, busy New Yorkers with three children under the age of 6. "It's so hard to keep the kitchen stocked with fresh items, and the cleanup time is so much more when you've cooked," Beth says. "With takeout everything's in its container, and then you just throw the container away." Or empty nesters like Pearlie Carter, 68, who put in her time cooking for her family and now is perfectly happy to buy Thai steak strips or teriyaki chicken breasts at the ultrafancy Shaw's supermarket in downtown Boston. Which leaves ... hmm ...
Well, somebody must be using those cookbooks, right? "People don't have time to cook; I think they're reading them in bed," says Rozanne Gold, the author of a popular series of cookbooks whose three-ingredient recipes practically beg to be made at the end of a busy workday.
But it's not just a question of time. The takeout boom is fueled, in part, by the popularity of foods like sushi (now available at some 7-Elevens in California), which even adventuresome American cooks with healthy immune systems are unlikely to try to make at home. Some Chinese dishes are easily cooked from scratch, but even if they were inclined to attempt it, the Zuckers would face the problem that they like their dishes spicy, while their children favor bland and gooey. Homemakers have always confronted the issue of diverging tastes, but the time-honored response ("You can eat those turnips now, or you can sit there until your head falls into the plate") is harder to sustain when a pizza is only a phone call away.
But even the preference for exotic cuisines seems inadequate to explain the boom in takeout, so much of which involves what the industry calls "home-meal replacement"â€"the trio of meat, starch and vegetable that the Boston Market chain merchandised with such success in the 1990s. What people crave at least as much as pad thai is the phenomenology of the home-cooked dinner: the family gathered at its own table, the familiar smells and tastes, the pure white of the mashed potatoes against the golden skin of the chicken.
And as for those lemons ... maybe we can just squeeze them over the wok-stirred broccoli florets with sesame-ginger dressing instead.
*************************
With Julie Scelfo in New York, Karen Springen in Chicago, Joan Raymond in Cleveland, Tara Weingarten in Los Angeles, Jason McLure in Boston and Karen Breslau in San Francisco
© 2004 Newsweek, Inc.
MSNBC - Takeout Nation
Link: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/41212...
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| If You Know Beans About Chili, You Know That Chili Has No Beans |
| 02.14.04 (11:54 pm) [edit] |
The following song has become the anthem at every Terlingua Cook-Off, where no chili with beans recipes are allowed to compete.
If You Know Beans About Chili, You Know That Chili Has No Beans
by Ken Finlay - 1976
singer, songwriter, and owner of Cheatham Street Warehouse (a music hall in San Marcos).
You burn some mesquite
And when the coals get hot
You bunk up some meat
And you throw it on a pot.
While some chile pods and garlic
And comino and stuff
Then you add a little salt
Till there's just enough
You can throw in some onions
To make it smell good
You can even add tomatoes
If you feel like you should
But if you know beans about chili
You know that chili has no beans
If you know beans about chili
You know it didn't come from Mexico
Chili was God's gift to Texas
(Or maybe it came from down below)
And chili doesn't go with macaroni
And dammed Yankee's don't go with chili queens;
And if you know beans about chili
You know that chili has no beans
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| HOW TO: GRILL CHICKEN |
| 02.13.04 (7:59 pm) [edit] |
HOW TO GRILL CHICKEN
When you are driving towards the chicken to hit it make sure it jumps up just past the bumper so it is truly "grilled" chicken.
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| SPICY STUFFED TOMATOES |
| 02.13.04 (6:24 pm) [edit] |
Spicy Stuffed Tomatoes
Recipe by The Dragon
FIREBREATH.COM
Serves 6 people
Ingredients
6 large tomatoes
1/4 pound genoa salami - sliced thick
1/4 pound provolone cheese - sliced thick
1 jar (8 oz.) Il Primo Giardiniera Hot Mix
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Directions
Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and carve out the center leaving only the rind.
Chop the tomato centers and put into a large mixing bowl.
Add giardiniera (including oil), and vinegar.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Slice salami and cheese into 1/2 inch strips and add to mixture.
Mix by hand thoroughly.
Stuff tomatoes with mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
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| CARNE GUISDA |
| 02.13.04 (6:04 pm) [edit] |
CARNE GUISADA
Earle Robitaille
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Chuck roast, trimmed and cut in bite-size pieces
4 T Flour
2 T Canola oil
1 Large onion, chopped
1 C Chopped celery
3 or 4 Jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, chopped
2-½ C Beef stock
2 T Tomato paste
½ t Ground cumin
2 t Chili powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place the meat cubes in a paper or plastic bag. Sprinkle the flour over them, close the bag and shake to coat the meat lightly and evenly.
In a Dutch oven or heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the meat and brown quickly. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Remove from heat.
Cover the Dutch oven or skillet and place in the oven.
Roast for 2 hours.
Makes 6 servings
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| Salmon "Saltimbocca" with Red Wine-Herb Butter |
| 02.13.04 (4:52 pm) [edit] |
Salmon "Saltimbocca" with Red Wine-Herb Butter
Created by: Robert Mondavi Winery Sr. Executive Chef, Sarah Scott
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
6 6-oz pieces of salmon filet
6 thin slices prosciutto
6 medium basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 lemon
1 cup dry red wine
1 large shallot, peeled and finely minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 pound butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed herbs: parsley, chives, tarragon, and/or thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions:
For the salmon: Season salmon filets with salt and pepper. Place a basil leaf on the top of each piece of salmon. Wrap a prosciutto slice around each salmon filet, enclosing the basil leaf. Secure with a toothpick, if necessary. Place in refrigerator until 15 minutes before cooking.
For the butter: Place the red wine, minced shallots and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer until there is about 1 tablespoon of liquid left in the pan. Remove from heat and cool completely. Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer or food processor. Add the cooled red wine mixture, salt and peppper and lemon juice. Mix or blend thoroughly. Add the herbs and mix well.
Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Place butter in a container, or roll into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be frozen for up to one month.)
To finish: Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove salmon from the refrigerator. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Place half the salmon filets in the pan. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes, then turn over. Cook until browned, another 3 minutes, and remove to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 salmon filets. Place in the oven and finish cooking, another 5-8 minutes, or until done. Remove from oven. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over all the salmon filets. Top with a slice or scoop of the Red Wine Herb Butter.
Suggested wines: Robert Mondavi Winery Carneros District Pinot Noir
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| Roasted Onion Soup with Watercress Cream |
| 02.13.04 (4:44 pm) [edit] |
Roasted Onion Soup with Watercress Cream
Created by: Robert Mondavi Winery Sr. Executive Chef, Sarah Scott
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs yellow onions, peeled and cut into 1/2" wedges
8 medium cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 bunch watercress
1 cup crème fraiche
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
For the soup: Preheat oven to 350'. Place the onion wedges and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss together until the vegetables are well-coated. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss again. Place the onions and garlic on a baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until golden brown and very soft. (If they start to get too brown, cover with foil and continue cooking.) Cool to room temperature.
Place the roasted onions and garlic in a blender. Add 2 cups of the chicken stock and puree until very smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of stock and the cream.
To serve.
Reheat the soup slowly, bringing just to a boil, not a rolling boil. Whisk in the lemon juice and butter. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if needed. Drizzle with the Watercress Cream.
For the Watercress Cream: Place the watercress, crème fraiche, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a blender. Blend very well, to a smooth and even consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Suggested wines: Robert Mondavi Winery Stags Leap District Sauvignon Blanc
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| Rattlesnake Fried Rice |
| 02.13.04 (4:11 pm) [edit] |
Rattlesnake Fried Rice
Ingredients :
2 tbl Butter
2 xEggs beaten
2 cup Cooked rice
1/2 cup Cooked rattlesnake diced very small
1/4 cup Soy sauce
Green onions chopped fine
1/2 cup Fresh cooked peas
(or leftover vegetables)
Method :
Melt butter in frying pan or wok. Add eggs. Stir to keep cooked egg pieces small. Stir in rice and snakemeat, mixing thoroughly. Add soy sauce. Stir until color of rice is fairly uniform. Add vegetables.
Continue to cook until heated through.
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| Irish Whiskey Potato Green Chile Stew |
| 02.13.04 (3:11 pm) [edit] |
Irish Whiskey Potato Green Chile Stew
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 cups chopped Spanish onions
2 fresh jalapenos, sliced
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp oregano
1 pound lamb stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 shots Jameson ( his, not mine) Irish Whiskey
8 new potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups chopped green chiles
2 cups chopped tomatoes
8 cups beef broth
Instructions
Saute garlic, onions, and jalapenos in the olive oil. Add the salt, black pepper, and oregano. Cook until the onions are clear, about 10 minutes. Add the lamb and brown for 10 minutes more. Add the whiskey and potatoes. Stir for another 10 minutes. Add the green chiles and tomatoes. Stir until all the ingredients are mixed together and warmed through. Add the beef broth and simmer for 1 -1/2 hrs.
Serve with hot flour tortillas.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Credits
From: Southwest Cafe in Ridgefield, Connecticut
Recipe by Barbara Nevins
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| HOW TO MAKE: SALSA #2 |
| 02.13.04 (2:17 pm) [edit] |
HOW TO: MAKE SALSA
************************* ***
#2
Okay, first you're going to need to take the skins off the tomatoes. To do this, boil a pot of water; cut an 'x' shape in the top of the tomatoes, and put them in the water for about a minute. The skins should pretty much slide off (with a little prying). You now have some tomato stuff for salsa. Cut the tomatoes into little pieces (salsa sized). You'll need about two tomatoes, by the way. Add a minced clove of garlic, a single minced jalapeno pepper (depending on how spicy you need it), one chopped onion, lots of cilantro, a little olive oil. If you can find this mexican herb called epizote, add that, too. Finally, now this is key, the juice of one lime. If you want chunky salsa, mix it together, put in in the fridge for an hour, and you're set. if you want smooth salsa, put that in the blender and chill.
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| HOW TO MAKE SALSA #1 |
| 02.13.04 (2:06 pm) [edit] |
HOW TO: MAKE SALSA
************************* ***
SALSA #1
Step One: Go to grocery store.
Step Two: Purchase container labelled "salsa." (Don't forget the tortilla chips!)
Step Three: Take it home.
Step Four: Open container and empty into bowl.
Step Five: Bon appetit!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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| Lobster Tails w/ Ginger DippingSauce |
| 02.13.04 (12:17 pm) [edit] |
BBQ & CHILI are two gourmet dining experiences. But, they're not all that's fine dining. Seafood is a gourmet dining catagory all by itself. Check out this recipe.
Roasted Lobster Tails with Ginger Dipping Sauce
Cooking.com
2 servings (serving size: 1 lobster tail and 2 tablespoons dipping sauce)
INGREDIENTS:
For the Sauce:
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon water
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon plum sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
3/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
For the Lobster:
2 (8-ounce) frozen lobster tails, thawed
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Sliced green onions (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
METHOD:
FOR THE SAUCE:
Combine mustard and water in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Stir in soy sauce, plum sauce, sherry, and ginger; set aside.
FOR THE LOBSTER:
Make a lengthwise cut through the top of each lobster shell using kitchen shears, cutting to, but not through, lobster meat; press shell open. Place the lobster tails, cut sides up, in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Combine the oils and pepper, and spoon over the lobster meat.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 13 minutes or until the lobster meat turns opaque. Serve lobster with sauce, and garnish with onions, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
2 servings (serving size: 1 lobster tail and 2 tablespoons dipping sauce)
Facts per Serving
Calories:194 Fat:5g Car bohydrates:8g Cholestero l:92mg Sodium:1263mg Pr otein:28g Fiber:0g % Cal. from Fat:23% % Cal. from Carbs:16%
ARTICLE W/ Links
http://www.cooking.com/recipes/static/recipe 7362.htm" title="http://www.cooking.com/recipes/static/recipe 7362.htm" target="_blank"http://www.cooking.com/recipe...
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| OLD FASHION TEXAS CHILI |
| 02.12.04 (6:12 pm) [edit] |
** OLD FASHION TEXAS CHILI ***
By Mike Liegler - DALLAS, TX
*** Ingredients ***
1 2 LB. of CHILI MEAT or ROUND STEAK
2 1/8 LB. RENDERED, BEEF KIDNEY SUET (not codfech) note: ask a good butcher for some. it's hard to find it in the supermarkets, their beef kidneys come without the suet. THIS Ingredient MAKES OR BRAKES THE CHILI...
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3 8 CHILI PODS (USE SUN-DRIED *ANCHOS*) try and pick ones with a reddish hue, it gives the chili much of it's color. yellow, greenish, and purplish ones are ok too. note: use 4 pods per lb. of meat. and boil in 1 cup of water per pod. note: Ancho is the dried form of Poblano Pepper.
4 1 TABLESPOON BEEF BOUILLON
5 2 GARLIC CLOVES (smashed and chopped)
6 1 Tablespoon DRIED OREGANO (preferably Mexican)
7 1 TEASPOONS SALT
8 1/2 Tablespoon CAYENNE PEPPER POWDER
9 1/2 Tablespoon CHILI POWDER
10 1 Tablespoon Paprika POWDER (you can add more if you want a more Rosie color, and it will not affect taste.)
11 1 Tablespoon GROUND CUMIN SEED (Comino in Spanish)
12 1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT
13 2 TEASPOONS WHITE VINEGAR
14 1 Tablespoon Semi-Sweet BAKING CHOCOLATE
15 1 CUP OF WATER (reserved from the water used to boil chili pods. also save a little more for mixing the masa, and to add the next day.)
16 3 Tablespoons MASA HARINA (masa harina is yellow corn flour made by Quaker oats for the Mexican government.) note: all purpose flour may be used instead.
*** PREPARATION ***
1 LEAN BEEF IS THE MAIN VEHICLE FOR CHILI, THE KIND MADE BY THE OLD CHUCK WAGON COOKS. STEWING MEAT IS EXCELLENT,IF IT IS FAT FREE. BUT NEVER, NEVER, USE PRIME BEEF, FOR IT WILL TURN INTO MUSH. MOST STORES SELL CHILI MEAT. AND ROUND STEAK WORKS VERY WELL.
2 SEAR MEAT UNTIL IT IS GRAY IN COLOR, A Little COOKING OIL MAY BE USED. note: (bacon grease and bits are excellent for added flavor, instead of cooking oil.)
3 DRAIN GREASE AND PUT IN CROCK-POT. note: iron Dutch ovens work well too.
4 RENDER OUT THE SUET. to render liquid fat from beef kidney suet, cook in a heavy saucepan over low heat, about 40 minutes or more. discard pieces of fat that are left over, POUR CLEAR LIQUID IN WITH THE MEAT.
5 WASH CHILI PODS AND REMOVE STEMS AND SEEDS, TAKE CARE TO NOT TOUCH EYES, WITH YOUR HANDS DURING THIS OPERATION AND WASH YOUR HANDS THOROUGHLY AFTERWARDS.
6 BOIL PODS FOR 1/2 HOUR, OR UNTIL THE SKINS CAN BE EASILY REMOVED. THEN MASH, DICE, GRIND, OR USE A FOOD PROCESSOR. THEN ADD IN WITH MEAT.
7 ADD ALL Remaining Ingredients TO THE MEAT, AND SOME OF THE PEPPERY WATER USED TO BOIL THE PODS, BUT DO NOT ADDED THE MASA AT THIS TIME.
8 COOK IN A CROCK POT ON LOW 8-10 HOURS, or 4-5 ON HIGH. ABOUT 1/2 HOUR BEFORE CHILI IS Finished, ADD THE MASA. MIX THE MASA WELL WITH THE CHILI PEPPER WATER WITH A FORK, UNTIL ITS SMOOTH AND THERE ARE NO LUMPS, THEN ADD TO THE CHILI.
9 PUT CHILI IN REFRIGERATOR FOR 8 TO 12 HOURS. CHILI THICKENS AND THE SPICES SET DURING IT'S STAY IN THE ICEBOX. THE GREASE WILL RISE TO THE TOP TOO. Finally REHEAT AND SERVE.. note: Old Timer's didn't skim the grease. some chili pepper water may be added to the mixture to make it smooth again.
*** Notes ****
This Recipe is a Variation of the Old Chili Recipe Dished out by the Famed San Antonio Chili Queens, of the Late 1800's, and Researched by the Late Texas Chili King, Frank X.Tolbert. I have to Admit the Chocolate, Vinegar and Vanilla Extract are My Own Variation in this Dish. The Vinegar Brings out the Flavor in the Chili Peppers, as well as the Vanilla Extract, when used Sparingly. The Chocolate Add's a Richness to the Dish, but you Can Not Taste the Chocolate, and It Will Not Taste The Same Without It.. Tolbert's Recipe is Still a Closely Guarded Family Secret....
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Chili Made in Northern Mexico is Made Much the Same Way, they Omit the Kidney Suet, and Add Chopped Onion. The Peppers they use are, 5 Dried California Chiles, and one New Mexico Chile, for 2 Pounds of Meat. The Old Texas Chili Didn't Contain Any Onions or Tomato's, as They Thought it would turn their Beloved Meat Dish into STEW, by Adding any Vegetable's....
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| TOP 10 CHILI PARLORS |
| 02.10.04 (11:22 pm) [edit] |
EPICURIOUS: RESTAURANT:
AMERICA'S TOP TEN CHILI PARLORS
BEAR CREEK OPEN PIT BBQ, Callaway, MD
BEN'S CHILI BOWL, Washington, D.C.
BISHOP'S CHILI, INC., Westmont, IL
CAMP WASHINGTON CHILI, INC., Cincinnati, OH
CHILI JOHN'S RESTAURANTS, Green Bay, WI
CHOPE'S BAR & CAFE, La Mesa, NM
DANNY'S DRIVE-IN, Stratford, CT
GOODY GOODY DINER, St. Louis, MO
PORUBSKY'S GROCERY, Topeka, KS
TEXAS CHILI PARLOR, Austin, TX
Chili is everywhere. In fact, we wrote a book a few years back titled Chili Nation that contained a different chili recipe from every state in the union. America's vast diversity of chili styles, from the primal Texas "bowl of red" to Cincinnati's baroque "five-way," makes this a provocative food. Most serious chili cooks and eaters believe their favored kind to be the best and the only True Way. Region to region, state to state, kitchen to kitchen, it seems everyone has a unique style of cooking and serving this dish. Like snowflakes, no two chilis are alike.
— Jane and Michael Stern
Read about each of the chili parlors
at Epicurious.com:
AMERICA'S TOP TEN CHILI PARLORS
http://eat.epicurious.com/restaurant/sterns/ind ex.ssf?/restaurant/sterns/ch ili.html" title="http://eat.epicurious.com/restaurant/sterns/ind ex.ssf?/restaurant/sterns/ch ili.html" target="_blank"http://eat.epicurious.com/res...
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| Romantic Valentines Day Menus |
| 02.05.04 (11:23 am) [edit] |
Romantic Valentines Day Menus
This menu is from Epicurious.com
Pretty involved, but pretty snazy for that special romantic meal.
MENUS
The Two of Us
Make the world go away — a light yet bold romantic dinner for two rekindles the old flame or may start a new one
MENU
Serves 2
Raspberry Smash Cocktails
Herbed Crêpes with Smoked Salmon and Radishes
Lobster, Avocado, and Grapefruit Salad
Fillaboa Albariño 02
Venison Tenderloin with Madeira Green Peppercorn Sauce and Parsnip Crisps
Carrot and Celery-Root Purées
Château Calon-Ségur St.-Estèphe '96
Frozen Praline Soufflés
Disznókö Tokay 6-Puttonyos '97
GAME PLAN
1 day ahead
• Make herbed crêpes and cheese mixture
• Boil lobster and remove meat from shell
• Make dressing for salad
• Make parsnip crisps
• Make carrot and celery-root purées
• Make praline soufflés
Day of meal
• Macerate raspberries for cocktails
• Assemble herbed crêpes
• Cut grapefruit segments and avocado for salad, and assemble salad
• Recrisp parsnip crisps in oven
• Roast venison and make Madeira sauce
• Reheat purées
— Recipes by Melissa Roberts-Matar, Gourmet, January 2004
Go here to get the recipes from EPICURIOUS: GOURMET: MENUS
http://eat.epicurious.com/gourmet/menus/?/gourm et/menus/romantic.html" title="http://eat.epicurious.com/gourmet/menus/?/gourm et/menus/romantic.html" target="_blank"http://eat.epicurious.com/gou...
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| Mad Cow (BSE) Update |
| 02.05.04 (10:48 am) [edit] |
BSE Update: 2-4-04
BSE REVIEW TEAM'S RECOMMENDATIONS NEED 'THOROUGH RISK ASSESSMENT,'
AMI INSISTS
February 4, 2004
{ News from American Meat Institute newsletter. meatami.com)
'U.S. is not Europe;' panel's risk assumption is 'badly flawed'
An international review team's recommendations to rely on OIE guidelines to govern beef trade among nations at minimal risk for BSE are vital to a rational restoration of beef trade, the American Meat Institute's senior officials told a national teleconference today.
However, the report appears to presume a higher risk than the facts indicate, according to AMI, an assumption that contradicts the regulations and the experiences of the last 15 years in North America.
"The premise that the BSE review panel apparently assumed is that the United States is the same as all other countries that have diagnosed a BSE case," said James Hodges, president of the AMI Foundation. "We reject that premise."
Hodges pointed out that at the height of what can only be called a BSE "epidemic" in the United Kingdom in 1992, as many as one thousand cases of BSE were being diagnosed every week, in a beef herd of slightly more than 13 million animals.
"If that incidence level were transposed to the United States, with our beef herd of nearly 100 million cattle, we would be experiencing almost three million cases of BSE a year," Hodges said. "Clearly, that is not the case. Therefore, recommendations for changing the BSE regulations in place in this country based on the European experience are inappropriate, inconsistent with OIE guidelines and ultimately, illogical."
J. Patrick Boyle, AMI President and CEO, reminded media members on the teleconference that the BSE review panel's report called for the United States "to demonstrate leadership in trade matters" by ensuring that our borders are open to beef trade with countries at minimal risk for BSE, as OIE recommends. However, he noted that the panelists also called for extreme measures, such as total ban on mammalian and avian protein in the entire feed chain, that are at odds with those very same OIE standards.
"It is intellectually inconsistent for this panel to urge the United States to lead the way in allowing the import of beef items and livestock from countries considered at minimal risk for BSE, and then insist that our government impose extremely precautionary measures that OIE clearly identifies as appropriate only for countries at high risk for BSE," Boyle said. "That belies the fact that the United States has already imposed a strict ruminant feed ban and doubled an already dramatically aggressive BSE surveillance program in response to the single case of BSE identified in December."
Hodges pointed out that the review panel recommended an extension of FDA's current feed ban to include a ban on all avian and mammalian proteins being fed to ruminants in the United States.
However, he stressed that the panel's rationale was based not on an assessment of the risk but on European problems with cross-contamination.
"The reason that Europe needed to move to a complete ban on mammalian protein from the entire feed chain was because their feed stocks had become hopelessly contaminated in the wake of the BSE epidemic in the UK," Hodges said. "They had no other choice, but it would be inconceivable for the United States to adopt a similar strategy, since our feed ban has been closely monitored and strictly enforced."
In response to a question about how the U.S. beef industry should react to the BSE review panel's extreme recommendation on feed ingredients, Hodges suggested that several options are available:
· Retain the current FDA feed ban, which was recently extended to exclude plate waste, poultry litter and blood products;
· Remove the high-risk SRMS from the feed chain;
· Remove all SRMS from the fee chain;
· Remove all mammalian proteins from all animal feed.
"But rather than jump to conclusions about what is necessary or unnecessary, what is needed is a thorough, methodical public and regulatory review of this entire report," Hodges said. "We need to scientifically evaluate all the options -- based on the facts surrounding our single case of BSE -- before we move toward any further regulatory action."
Boyle ended the teleconference by noting that the U.S. precautions in place to protect our herds from BSE have functioned as they should.
"The firewalls we already have in place have served us well," he said. "The facts show that our BSE protective measures, even before the federal government recently imposed extraordinary additional precautions, have worked to prevent the spread and the amplification of this animal disease in our country. Had we not taken those measures years ago, perhaps we could more easily accept some of recommendations this BSE panel made today.
"As the panel's report states, our system works, our herds have been protected and our beef supply remains safe," Boyle concluded. "AMI is confident that a sound, scientific assessment of the real -- not the perceived -- risks to our cattle herd will show that no additional regulatory changes are required."
For more information please visit AMI at: http://www.meatami.com/
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| Pasta e Ceci |
| 02.01.04 (10:39 pm) [edit] |
Pasta é Ceci
{ Chickpea Soup }
". . . inde domum me ad porri et ciceris refero laganique catinum," (I was given a bowl of leeks and chickpea lasagna at my house), wrote the Roman poet Orace (Satire). Chickpea soup, flavored with garlic and rosemary, is probably the oldest recipe in Roman cooking.
INGREDIENTS:
11 oz (300 gr.) dry chickpeas or 2 cans of chickpeas 3 + 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 spring of rosemary
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 tablespoon tomato purée
Salt and pepper
6 oz. (180 gr.) pasta, short ditali, or spaghetti, broken in 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces
METHOD:
Soak the dry chickpeas in fresh water overnight or as long as necessary to have them tender. Drain the chickpeas when ready to cook. If using canned chickpeas just drain them from the can water.
In a large saucepan, put 3 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and the rosemary. Turn heat to medium.
As soon as the oil becomes hot, add anchovies and stir to dissolve. This step must be done very quickly to avoid browning the garlic and burning the anchovies.
Immediately add tomato, chickpeas, and 4 cups (approximately 1liter water). Bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the chickpeas are tender.
Add freshly grated pepper. Anchovies can be very salty, therefore taste the soup and add salt only if necessary. Remove the rosemary.
Add the pasta and cook for the time indicated by the manufacturer, checking for readiness from time to time. Pasta is ready when al dente (firm but not too soft or overcooked).
Transfer to individual serving bowls and top with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Serve warm.
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From newsletter of: chef2chef.net
http://www.chef2chef.net" title="http://www.chef2chef.net" target="_blank"http://www.chef2chef.net
Recipe from author Anna Maria Volpi. Her book: The Timeless Art of Italian Cuisine, Centuries of Scrumptious Dining
Visit her site here: www.annamariavolpi.com
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| Food Trivia Quiz |
| 02.01.04 (10:16 pm) [edit] |
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ
This quiz this week is a little more difficult than usual.
1) What small vegetable takes its name for its part in the diet of one of the branches of the U.S. military in the second half of the 19th century?
2) This egg-shaped tropical fruit has a brittle, wrinkled rind enclosing flesh-covered seeds. The seeds are edible, so you can eat the orange pulp straight from the shell. Its highly aromatic pulp and juice are used as a flavoring for beverages and sauces. The pulp has an intense aromatic flavor, while the texture is jelly-like and watery. The name of this fruit is:
a) Babaco
b) Pomegranate
c) Mamee Apple
d) Passion Fruit
e) Guava
3) William Mitchell, a research chemist for General Foods, invented a chemical process in 1956. For years the company searched for a way to utilize it, and finally came up with a novelty product in 1974. Can you describe this process and name the novelty food? (Hint: Periodically a story surfaces (untrue) that when this product is eaten together with a certain beverage, the results will prove deadly.)
4) Cook them, mash them up, dehydrate them. Reconstitute them with moisture to make a dough; cut into a uniform size and shape and package in air tight containers. They were introduced in 1969 by Proctor and Gamble. What were they when they started out, and what is the name of the final packaged product?
5) This relative of buckwheat originated in Western China and neighboring areas. Its traditional role was medicinal - the dried root was a popular remedy for a wide range of illnesses. Its primary function was to induce vomiting, although it is also a mild astringent. This medicinal role caused the price of the dried root to rise. In 1542, it sold for ten times the price of cinnamon in France and in 1657 it sold for over twice the price of opium in England. Beginning in the eighteenth century, it began to be consumed in foods, primarily drinks and meat stews. Botanically speaking, it is considered a vegetable, but it's most often treated as a fruit — though it's rarely eaten raw. It was introduced to the United States at the end of the eighteenth century. Today most of it is frozen for commercial and institutional use; only about a quarter of the crop is sold fresh. What is this strange plant?
6) The origin of English shoe sizing is directly connected with a grass grain and a decree issued by Edward I of England in about the year 1305. What grain and how is it connected with English shoe sizes?
7) This food product, introduced by General Foods in 1965, was added by NASA to the galley of the Gemini astronauts. In July 1969 it traveled to the Moon on the Apollo mission. Name this food product.
8) This relative of the apple and pear is one of the earliest known fruits. For over 4,000 years, trees have grown in Asia and the Mediterranean. Today, it is also found in Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. The fruit as we know it in the United States is a different fruit from that found in Western Asia and tropical countries, where the fruit is softer and more juicy. In colder climates, the fruit has a fine, handsome shape, a rich golden color when ripe, and a strong fragrance, judged by some to be heavy and overpowering. In the raw form, the rind is rough and woolly, and the flesh is hard and unpalatable, with an astringent, acidulous taste. In hotter countries, the woolly rind disappears and the fruit can be eaten raw. Because it's rarely used in its raw form in the United States, the hard and dry flesh of this fruit turns light pink to purple, becoming softer and sweeter when it's cooked. Because of the astringent, tart flavor, they are commonly made into preserves and jellies. Name this fruit.
9) They were first developed in Sicily and were known to both the Greeks and the Romans. In 77 AD the Roman naturalist Pliny called them one of earth's monstrosities, but many continued to eat them. Historical accounts show that wealthy Romans enjoyed them prepared in honey and vinegar, seasoned with cumin, so that this treat would be available year round. It was not until the early twentieth century that they were grown in the United States. All that are commercially grown in the United States are grown in California. They are actually a flower bud, and if allowed to flower, the blossoms measure up to seven inches in diameter and are a violet-blue color. Name this plant.
10) Since beef is in the news, let's have a beef question. Can you name the top 10 beef entrees in the United States? (Not including burgers). Here is some help to get you started: Number 1 is Prime Rib and Number 6 is Meatloaf.
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ANSWERS TO FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ:
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1) Navy Beans are small, white and oval with a refined texture and delicate flavor. These are the beans used for the famous Boston and English baked beans. Because their skin and fine texture do not break up on cooking. These beans were named for their part of the U.S. Navy diet during the second half of the 19th Century.
2) Passion Fruit.
3) Pop Rocks were introduced by General Foods in 1974. Ever since 1956, when company research chemist William Mitchell found a way to put carbon dioxide into a solid, General Foods had searched for a product to market using this process. Your stomach will NOT explode if you eat Pop Rocks and drink a Cola beverage.
4) Potatoes, processed into Pringles Potato Chips.
5) Rhubarb.
6) In about 1305, Edward I of England decreed that one inch should be the measure of three barleycorns, and English shoe sizing began; thus a child's shoe that measured 13 barleycorns became a size 13.
7) Tang, the powdered orange drink.
8) The Quince.
9) The Artichoke.
10) Top 10 list of beef entrees (excluding burgers) in the U.S.
1) Prime Rib 2) Strip Steak 3) Filet Mignon/Tenderloin 4) Roast Beef 5) Rib/Ribeye Steak 6) Meatloaf 7) Sirloin/Top Butt Steak 8) Chicken Fried Steak 9) Meatballs 10) T-Bone/Porterhouse Steak. (National Cattlemen's Beef Association).
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From:
THE FOOD REFERENCE NEWSLETTER foodreference.com
To SUBSCRIBE send a blank email to
email: subscribe@foodrefe rence.com
Food Reference WebSite: http://www.foodreference.com
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© Copyright 1990-2004 James T. Ehler. All rights reserved. You may copy and use portions of this newsletter for noncommercial, personal use only. you may forward a copy to someone else as long as the Copyright notice is included. Any other use of the materials in this newsletter without prior written permission is prohibited.
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| C & E ?? |
| 02.01.04 (9:37 pm) [edit] |
Vitamins C and E May Lower Alzheimer's Risk
Antioxidant Vitamins Work Together to Prevent Dementia
By Salynn Boyles
Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
WebMD Medical News
Jan. 20, 2004
Taking supplements of the antioxidant vitamins E and C in combination may help elderly people lower their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. New research suggests that the vitamins act synergistically to prevent age-related dementia. READ ARTICLE
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| Cook Ahead for a Month |
| 02.01.04 (9:20 pm) [edit] |
For those of you that hate to cook dinner everyday, I've found a website that tells you how to multiply recipes, cook with a friend, and freeze (the food, not the friend , lol.) ahead for a month.
Here's the link, if you want to check it out.
Welcome to 30 Day Gourmet's Freezer Cooking Online Manual. . .
http://www.30daygourmet.com/" title="http://www.30daygourmet.com/" target="_blank"http://www.30daygourmet.com/
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